


The alien of the opera

by phantomofhogwarts



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005), Le Fantôme de l'Opéra | Phantom of the Opera - Gaston Leroux, Phantom of the Opera - Lloyd Webber
Genre: Crossover, Gen, How Do I Tag, I don't know how to tag this, One Shot, Time Travel, it's only a crazy idea, references to the book and the musical
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:54:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24816436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantomofhogwarts/pseuds/phantomofhogwarts
Summary: The Doctor and Clara go to Paris and weird events happen during the opera. After meeting Christine Daaé and seeing the similarities between those facts and a famous novel written by a friend of the Doctor, they realize there’s something very strange at the Palais Garnier.
Relationships: Christine Daaé & Erik | Phantom of the Opera, Eleventh Doctor & Clara Oswin Oswald
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	The alien of the opera

**Author's Note:**

> I've always imagined what could happen if the Doctor met the Phantom of the Opera. Since I'm rewatching some episodes with 11th I thought: well, why not?

“Clara, what do you think about a trip to Paris in the XIX century? We could see the Palais Garnier at its best!”  
“It doesn’t seem bad to me. Come on, pull that lever!”, said Clara jumping next to the console while the Doctor had a great smile.  
When they got out of the TARDIS they saw all the movement in Paris at night. Carriages, stores, coffee shops...Clara was looking at everything with attention, turning her head quickly to every side while the Doctor was walking by her side. After two corners, they saw their goal for that trip. The Palais Garnier had so many lights and there was a lot of people around there.  
“What are our chances to see the opera tonight?”, Clara asked.  
“More likely than you can imagine”, said the Doctor fixing his bow tie and getting the psychic paper from his jacket.  
They walked to the opera house, using their best serious expressions when the Doctor showed his psychic paper at the lobby. When it worked and they were allowed to get in the opera house, Clara couldn’t hide her happiness while looking around. A long staircase led to the theater and the hall had many chandeliers and gas lamps.  
“So?”, the Doctor asked.  
“It’s beautiful! I had no idea it would be like this!”, Clara said while smiling.  
They climbed the stairs towards the theater. The opera of that night was already beginning. The artists’ talent was amazing, just like the set production and the costumes. However, the main thing was the big chandelier, decorated with many crystals .  
The opera performance was happening normally when a deep voice echoed in a way that seemed to come from everywhere.  
“Did I not instruct that box 5 was to be kept empty?”  
Everybody was looking around searching for the origin of that voice, but nobody could find it. Clara turned to the Doctor confused, but he was also trying to understand what was happening. When the main actress began to sing again, her voice disappeared and she couldn’t sing anymore.  
“Behold! She is singing to bring down the chandelier!”, the mysterious voice echoed again. That was when the chandelier began to shake in the ceiling, while the audience was screaming and trying to run to the exit.  
As a way to try to calm the audience, one of the opera managers walked in the stage and said the opera would be resumed in some moments with miss Christine Daaé in the main role. To keep the people entertained while the cast was preparing with the changes, the ballet of that opera would be performed. Clara was still confused with everything that was happening and turned to ask the Doctor if he knew anything about all of that. She got surprised when she saw the big smile on his face and he was moving his hands with excitement.  
“Doctor, what did you realize that I didn’t?”  
“Oh, Clara, you didn’t notice the connections in all of this? A mysterious voice at the Palais Garnier, box 5, the chandelier, the change in the cast, the name Christine Daaé...none of this reminds you of anything?”  
“No, I don’t think so...wait a minute! All of this looks like the story of The Phantom of the Opera!”, Clara said as she began to understand. The Doctor’s smile got even bigger. “But, all of that is a story, it’s just a book, it can’t be real...can it?”  
“I think Gaston was serious when he said The Phantom was real. That’s weird, I didn’t believe it so much when he told me that when we were having tea…”  
“Gaston? Who is...no, you mean Gaston Leroux? Did you meet Gaston Leroux?”  
“Of course I did, a brilliant writer and a very nice man. I had a chance to meet him after saving him from…”  
The Doctor was interrupted by the audience screaming when they saw a man dead in the stage, apparently he was hanged. Everybody was screaming to get out of the theater, but Clara and the Doctor tried to find a way to get to the stage.  
He was scanning the dead man with his sonic screwdriver when one of the opera managers came to their side.  
“Who are you? What is this thing?”  
“Investigating. Yes, yes, we are investigators about weird events in the Arts. You can call me Doctor and this is my assistant, Clara. I have a feeling you know more about this than you show, mister…”  
“I’m Andre. And none of this makes sense, all those letters and miss Daaé’s disappearance last night…”  
“Ah! Where we can find miss Daaé? You know, she may be important for our investigation about these events, right, Clara?”  
“Yes, yes, it would be very useful to talk to her”.  
“Well, come with me. I’ll take you to her dressing room”.  
Andre took them through a maze of hallways until they got to a double room. He knocked to announce themselves and a soft voice allowed them to come in.  
“Miss Daaé, these investigators would like to talk to you about...well, everything that is happening here”, Andre explained while he, the Doctor and Clara walked in the dressing room. Christine was at her dressing table, but her face showed she was nervous.  
“We would like to talk to her in private, if you don’t mind, Andre. Can we make you some questions later, if necessary?”, the Doctor asked as he looked around the room.  
“Sure, you can look for me later. Excuse me”, Andre closed the door and left them alone. At the same moment, the Doctor began to scan the room with his sonic screwdriver.  
“Are you really investigators?”, Christine asked with a trembling voice watching the Doctor as he walked around the room.  
“In a certain way, yes. Now, what you can tell us about last night? Andre told us you were missing.”, the Doctor asked.  
“It’s more complicated than it seems. You would hardly believe me…”  
“We’ve seen many complicated things, believe us!”, Clara said as she sat in one of the armchairs.  
“Complicated could be our nickname. Or middle name. Well, what you can tell us?”, the Doctor said while approaching Christine and keeping the sonic screwdriver in his jacket.  
“After my father died and I came to this theater, I’ve been having singing classes with someone. I used to think it was the Angel of Music, as my father always said. But, I saw him yesterday and he isn’t what I would call as “Angel”. He came through my mirror and took me to the underground of the opera house and showed me some compositions. He is known by everybody as The Phantom of the Opera, but he told me his name is Erik.”  
“Mirror? Erik?”, Clara repeated as she looked at the Doctor. He gave her a little smile when he realized she was understanding the connections to the famous story. Then, he got the sonic screwdriver again and scanned the mirror. Christine was looking at him feeling confused.  
“Could you see his appearance?”, Clara asked while trying to distract Christine.  
“He was wearing a mask, but when I saw his real face...I don’t think I’m able to describe it correctly! His face was so deformed, his eyes seemed to be deep into his skull and his skin was so cold. He didn’t even look…”  
“Human”, the Doctor completed still scanning the mirror before turning to Christine and Clara again. Then, he got away from the mirror, took Clara’s hand and walked towards the door. “Thank you for the attention, Christine. We will keep investigating and we will talk to you again. Thank you!”  
“Wait, why we are leaving? We didn’t find out anything real yet!”, Clara said when they were in the hallway again.  
“I think I know which alien we have here. Nothing dangerous or to be worried, we aren’t talking about daleks or cybermen. No, I think we are dealing with a krei! I must say he wasn’t so creative to create a human name using an anagram and…”  
“Hold on, do you mean the Phantom of the Opera is an alien? Really?”, Clara said surprised.  
“Yes, they are peaceful. They are mostly known for their melodious voice opposed to their appearance. They are very popular in intergalactic choirs because of their talent for the music. I was able to get his traces in the mirror. I don’t know how this one is here, but in general, there’s no reason to be worried. Except this one killed a man…”  
“We will look for him, right?”  
“Let’s get a shortcut with the TARDIS for the opera tomorrow night. I think we will get more clues about him”.

The following night, the Doctor and Clara were at the opera house again. Christine had the main role for that opera and it was clear why Erik had such a preference for her. Her voice was truly beautiful and she didn’t make any mistakes. However, when she was having a duet, there was something weird about the actor that was singing with her. That was when the Doctor noted the fear in Christine’s face.  
“That isn’t an actor. It’s Erik in disguise! I can see by his voice, it’s the same one that threatened everybody with the chandelier yesterday!”, the Doctor told Clara.  
As soon as he said that, the opera stopped because of the chandelier that fell to the stage. As the audience was trying to get out, nobody noticed that Erik kidnapped Christine. But, the Doctor saw when he ran with her and tried to follow them through the crowd.  
They had to find a way to go to the underground. So, they ran to Christine’s dressing room to check the mirror again. Fortunately, that area of the opera house was empty and they quickly got in the room.  
The Doctor came closer to the mirror and scanned again with his sonic screwdriver. After hearing some clicks and engines working, the mirror shifted to the side revealing a door to a dark hallway. He clapped in celebration and told Clara to follow him.  
After some meters, the hallway led to a staircase that took them to a lake. They couldn’t cross it without a boat and they didn’t have time to get the TARDIS. That was when they heard someone crying. They followed the sound and found Christine sitting on the floor and trying to control her tears.  
“Christine, everything is ok. We will take you back. Is he still here?”, Clara asked as she sat beside Christine.  
“He left me here. He said he couldn’t keep his reign of music and he was grateful for me on helping him make his music fly, but the music of the night was over now. What does he mean with all of this?”, Christine said confused and out of breath. “The chandelier, everybody at the theater…”  
“Everybody will be fine. I think our friend realized it isn’t safe to stay here and decided to run away”, said a calm voice from the shadows. They looked at the direction of the voice and saw a man with a persian appearance. “Don’t worry about him anymore, you won’t ever see him again”.  
“Who are you? I never saw you here in the opera house”, Christine asked.  
“I have been following Erik for some time, wherever he goes. That’s why I know he won’t come back here again. Forget everything that happened, miss Daaé. I say the same for you both. Forget everything about Erik, The Phantom and Angel”.  
Before any of them could say anything else, the persian came back to the shadows. The Doctor walked to where the mysterious man was standing, but he didn’t find anything. It was like he vanished into thin air.  
“Doctor, was this real?”, Clara asked uncertain.  
“Yes, I think he was just as real as us”, the Doctor said still staring at the place where the persian was. Then, he turned to Clara and Christine. “Come on, we should come back to the theater. We need to take miss Daaé back to safety”.

Later, when they were in the TARDIS again, Clara was still thinking about everything that happened.  
“So, everything that Gaston Leroux wrote was based in an alien? The story is real?”, she said while the Doctor was pulling levers to begin the trip.  
“I think the story Leroux wrote is more real than he made his readers believe.”  
“But, what happened to Erik? Why there isn’t any sign of him? I mean, did he really keep himself hidden forever? And who was that persian man?”  
“Maybe he found a way to leave Earth. After all, he did tell Christine the music of the night was over. Maybe this meant he wouldn’t live with humans anymore. And Leroux actually had a persian man in his story...maybe we will never understand this mystery of The Phantom of the Opera in the end…”, the Doctor said while they entered in the time vortex.


End file.
